Blame Corruption, Toxic Waste Not Tylenol
Autism rates around the world continue to surge. In the United States, 1 child out of every 31 will develop autism – a neurodevelopmental disorder that has a wide range of symptoms and severity.
Approximately 2.21 percent of Americans aged 18 to 84 are living with autism, according to a 2020 study published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. Massachusetts, Connecticut and Virginia have the highest estimated rates of adults living with autism, according to the data.
Instead of announcing a national screening program to help understand the dynamics of the disorder, the White House made a desperate attempt last month to blame the skyrocketing neurological disorder on acetaminophen – the active ingredient in Tylenol.
The Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert Kennedy, Jr., claims that if a pregnant mother took Tylenol during pregnancy to reduce a fever, she might have caused autism in her child. It is a claim that has been investigated and dismissed. It might be a contributing factor, but it certainly doesn’t explain the root cause of autism.
The pushback from doctors, families and advocates was immediate and strong. Rightly so. Autism was first observed in 1911. Tylenol was introduced in the United States in 1955. Numerous studies have failed to prove a connection.
It also doesn’t explain why autism affects four-times more boys than girls. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among boys in California in 2022 was 1 in 22. The prevalence for girls is 1 in 100. The prevalence was highest among Asian/Pacific Islander boys (1 in 15) and Hispanic/Latino boys (1 in 18).
“The autism epidemic has now reached a scale unprecedented in human history because it affects the young,” Kennedy said. “Autism is preventable and it is unforgivable that we have not yet identified the underlying causes. We should have had these answers 20 years ago.”
Some pundits will suggest that the disparity is due to genetics, while others blame neurotoxins in our air, food and water. Others are pointing toward neurotoxins that are contaminating healthcare facilities, dental offices and beyond. Robert Kennedy Jr. claims that the rising number of autism diagnoses in the U.S. is being driven by environmental causes rather than genetics. This is the sliver of truth in the midst of a massive smokescreen.
Answers Begin With The Truth
A comprehensive national screening program would help us understand the extent and dispersion of the autism problem. Some nations are doing a better job than others, but barriers exist. In the absence of comprehensive screening and reporting, it makes sense to look at the world of neurotoxins that threaten life as we know it.
Heavy metals, particularly lead and mercury, have long been a subject of research. Lead poisoning is known to impair neurocognitive function, causing behavioral issues and lower IQ in children. A 2022 study found that children with autism were overrepresented in a group with higher blood lead levels.
Another study found that autistic children had higher lead exposure during development compared to their non-autistic twin siblings.
Forever chemicals, also known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), are a group of man-made chemicals used in various products, including non-stick cookware, textiles, and firefighting foam. Some studies have investigated the potential link between PFAS exposure and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Studies have shown that prenatal exposure to PFAS, particularly perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), may be associated with an increased risk of ASD.
One study found that children whose mothers had higher levels of PFOA in their blood during pregnancy were more likely to exhibit ASD-like behaviors. PFAS may disrupt endocrine function, leading to changes in brain development that could increase the risk of autism. PFAS may also impair immune function, making children more susceptible to infections that could contribute to neurodevelopmental problems. PFAS may interact with other environmental factors, such as BPA (bisphenol A), to increase the risk of autism. Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) showed the strongest and most consistent association with ASD. Prenatal blood concentrations of PFNA may be associated with modest increases in child autism-related traits.
Pesticides have been a concern for years. Research has increasingly focused on the effects of maternal exposure to pesticides on fetal brain development. A 2014 study by UC Davis found that mothers living near agricultural pesticide applications during pregnancy had an elevated risk of having a child with autism or developmental delays. Specific neurotoxic chemicals identified in research include organophosphates (such as chlorpyrifos) and pyrethroids. In one study, mothers living near chlorpyrifos applications during the second trimester were 3.3 times more likely to have a child with autism.
According to Stephanie Seneff, a Senior Research Scientist at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Glyphosate could be the culprit behind Alzheimer’s disease and other neuro disorders.
Air pollution Studies have found associations between air pollution, particularly traffic-related pollutants, and an increased risk of autism in children whose mothers were exposed during pregnancy and infancy.
Endocrine disruptors, especially phthalates and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), which can interfere with the endocrine system, have been implicated in some studies.
Sewage Sludge
Most people don’t know what happens to our sewage. We load our toilets and sinks with all sorts of disgusting things that we don’t ever want to see or think about again.
Hospitals, nursing homes, dental offices, veterinarians, auto repair shops and factories all send their sewage to the local wastewater treatment plant so that it will magically disappear. Unfortunately, this massive waste stream doesn’t disappear. The carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, pesticides, solvents, heavy metals, radionuclides and much more are sent to the wastewater treatment plant. The water is removed and often recycled for irrigation or even drinking (bad idea). The solids and sludge are handled separately. Some of this toxic waste is dumped into lined landfills where it can’t contaminate the soil, air, food and water.
Unfortunately, the U.S. alone dumped more than 2.44 million metric tons of this toxic waste on farms, ranches, golf courses, parks, ball fields and beyond in 2020. Thanks to the US EPA, many other nations are doing the same thing.
Sewage sludge contains just about every contaminant and neurotoxin imaginable, including heavy metals, PFAS, pesticides and highly infectious prions. When sewage sludge is dumped on land, these toxins are blown by the wind, swept away into water supplies, and absorbed by plants that humans, livestock and wildlife consume. Dumping sewage sludge (also known as biosolids) is contributing to neurodegenerative disease in humans, livestock and wildlife (also known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathy – Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, mad cow disease, chronic wasting disease and more).
Former EPA scientist David Lewis claims that there is a causal link between the land application of toxic sewage sludge and an increase in autism rates. In 2018, the EPA admitted that the risk assessment that enabled the industrial application of millions of tons of sewage sludge to land was incomplete and “may not fully protect human health and the environment” – it didn’t account for all risks, including the risks of neurotoxins blowing in the wind and seeping into groundwater and surface water runoff. Despite this stunning admission, they didn’t stop the illegal practice.
Sewage sludge dumped on land is clearly a pathway for infectious prions and other neurotoxins. There is no reason to believe that sewage sludge isn’t contributing to the surge in autism. It also is impossible to remove prions from recycled wastewater. The EPA began touting sewage sludge as fertilizer in the 1970s. The spike in neurodegenerative disease and autism began about the same time.
As mentioned earlier, the medical term for prion disease is transmissible spongiform encephalopathy. Encephalopathy (neurodegeneration or wasting of the brain) can be associated with autism. RFK is aware of the issue and wants to add it to the ASD table.
Neurodegenerative disease is now the fastest-growing cause of death in the world. Most forms of neurodegenerative disease are transmissible. Prions migrate, mutate and multiply. They kill with incredible efficiency. The victims of prion disease are highly infectious. As the population gets sicker, waste streams become even deadlier. Autism could be a by-product of this pandemic. There is no proof to the contrary. Let common sense and the rule of law prevail. Defend the homeland from sewage sludge and neurotoxins.
